Thill-coupling.



No. 804,925. Q PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

- G. G. BRADLEY.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed July 24,1903. Serial No. 166,837-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAD- LEY, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings,

of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings and refers more particularly to the coupling-pin and packing which is interposed between the pin and d raft-eye to prevent rattling of the parts of the coupling.

The primary object of this improved coupling-pin and packing is to permit the use of small solid or laminated pieces of leather or equivalent material which are inserted in suitable recesses in the coupling-pin and are provided with spherical outer surfaces to be engaged by the jaws of the draft-eye, so as to prevent the contact of the metal parts of the coupling, and thereby obviate any rattle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a thill-coupling embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the coupling-pin and packing seen in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of a thill-iron carrying the couplingpin, the packing being shown in operative position in Fig. 3, but is removed in Fig. 4:. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the detached packing-sections. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views, similar to Figs. 2 and 4, showing a slightly-modified form of couplingpin and packing-sections. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view through the coupling-pin and packing-sectionsseen in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the detached packing-sections seen in Fig. 6. Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views, similar to Figs. 3 and 4, showing a still modified form of coupling-pin and packing-sections, said sections being shown in their operative position in Fig. 10, but removed in Fig. 11 Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view of the couplingpin and packings seen in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one of the detached packing-sections seen in Fig. 10.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In order to show the practicability of this invention, I haveshown a thin-coupling comprising a fixed jaw 1, a movable jaw 2, and a thill-iron having a coupling-pin 3, which is adapted to receive packing-sections 4, the movable jaw 2 being hinged at 5 to the front end of the fixed jaw 1 and is adapted to be held in position by a link 6, having one end pivotally attached to a lever 7 and its other end is movable into and out of engagement with the free end of the jaw 2, said lever being pivoted at 8 to one end of the spring-arm 9, which latter is secured to the axle, as 10, through the medium of one of the clip-bolts and its clamping-nuts.

The clamping-jaws 1 and 2 constitute the I essential parts of the draft-eye and are provided with inner semispherical recesses for receiving a spherical part of the coupling-pin and its packing-sections.

The coupling-pin seen in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is provided with an annular enlargement 11, having circular recesses 12 in its opposite faces which form oppositely-projecting annular flanges or walls 13, having their inner faces undercut or dovetailed in cross-section to receive and hold the packing-sections 4 in their operative positions, the remaining portions of the outer surface of the enlargement being of spherical contour.

The inner walls of the recesses 12 are preferably flat and form suitable abutting faces to limit the inward movement of the packingsections. These packing-sections preferably consist of plano-convex bodies or sections of leather or equivalent material having their fiat ends or sides inserted under pressure into the recesses 12, so that the inner flat faces rest upon the flat bottoms of the recesses and are surrounded by the flanges 13, which hold the packing-sections in operative position with their exterior surfaces, which are spherical, coincident with the spherical portions of the enlarged portion of the coupling-pin, whereby when the packing-sections are assembled the central portion of the coupling-pin presents a globular appearance.

In Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I have shown the coupling-pin as provided with a spherical enlargement 11, having a series of three circular recesses 12 in its periphery for receiving a corresponding number of plano convex packingsections 4, these recesses 12' and packing-sections 4: being very similar to those seen in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the annular walls of these recesses being undercut or substantially dovetailed in cross-section, so as to hold the packing-sections in operative position, and the intermediate portion of the coupling-pin presents a globular appearance similar to that seen in Figs. 1 to 3.

In Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, the couplingpin is formed with a spherical enlargement 11", having a series of lengthwise recesses 12 for receiving packing-sections 4, these recesses having flat lengthwise bases and side walls, which latter are undercut or dovetailed transversely to receive the packing-sections 4" and serve to hold them in place, the outer surfaces of the packing-sections being spherical to con form to the spherical outer surface of the enlargement ll".

These several modifications are entirely Within the scope of my present invention, and the broad idea of recessing the coupling-pin at different points in its periphery and inserting separate packing-sections therein is believed to be new, and it is evident that these packing-sections may be pressed or otherwise secured in their respective recesses, so that when they are assembled the coupling-pin has the appearance of a spherical knuckle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a draft-eye composed of two jaws, one hinged to the other and each provided with a substantially semispherical recess, a coupling-pin having a spherical portion formed with a recess, and a piece of leather or equivalent material seated in said recess and having its outer surface forming a continuation of the spherical portion of the coupling-pin and engaging in the semispherical recesses in the jaws.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination with two jaws, one hinged to the other and each having its inner face concaved longitudinally and transversely, and a spherical part fitting in said recesses and composed partly of metal and partly of leather or equivalent material secured to the metal part, both metal and leather parts having spherical outer surfaces.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a draft-eye and coupling-pin, one of the parts being composed of two jaws hinged to each other and each formed with a substantially semispherical recess in its inner face, and the other part having a spherical portion formed partly of metal and partly of leather, the metal portion being provided with recesses having flat bases, and the leather portions having flat inner sides and spherical outer sides, the flat inner sides resting against the flat bases of the metal and their spherical outer surfaces being seated in the semispherical recesses of the jaws.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of July, 1903.

CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DENIsoN, 

